Style: progressive metal (mixed vocals, mostly clean)
Recommended for fans of: Green Carnation, Orphaned Land, Devin Townsend
Country: Israel
Release date: 18 September 2026

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Some bands resonate so strongly in the progressive underground that it’s shocking they’re still down here with us. For years, Subway darlings SUBMASQ (formerly known as Subterranean Masquerade) have lit up our site: their 2021 album Mountain Fever scored a 9/10 and landed as our #16 album of the first half of this decade; Vagabond garnered an honorable mention in our best of 2010–2019 list; and the band’s 2005 classic, Suspended Animation Dreams, warranted a Lost In Time writeup for its twentieth anniversary. Yet SUBMASQ’s listener counts would have you believe they’re among the smaller groups we cover. A shame, but all the more reason to shine our spotlight on them.

The group’s latest work, Spirit Animal, comes after a moniker change and an extended period spent searching for the right label to release the album. Fortunately, SUBMASQ found their way onto Willowtip Records’ stellar roster, and Spirit Animal has burst from captivity in a signature blur of progressive metal and Israeli folk. Given the band’s track record, it’s less a question of whether they’ll deliver but rather to what degree. Just how loudly will SUBMASQ’s roar echo through the underground this time around?

As with the group’s preceding records, Spirit Animal’s maximalism makes it an indulgent joy. The instrumentation is simply resplendent: nearly every moment is adorned with some exotic instrument or percussion, while Davidavi ‘Vidi’ Dolev’s theatrical vocals soar out above it all. That’s not to say the release lacks dynamics—there are calmer moments, climaxes, and varied textures. But pick any spot, and you’re almost guaranteed to find a thicket of different instruments playing off one another, leaving plenty to come back to and unpack across listens. SUBMASQ have always made liberal use of guest musicians to great effect, and that tradition remains alive and well. On Spirit Animal, we get guest performances on the tablas and other assorted percussion, oud, bouzouki, violin, cello, backing vocals, and even a guitar solo on the opening track “Cardamom” from Ron Thal (of Bumblefoot fame). Add in the strong performances from the core band and the sparkling mix from Adam Noble (Leprous, Einar Solberg, Cardiacs, Katatonia, among others), and we’ve got an undeniably strong album. 

At its best, Spirit Animal is right up there with anything SUBMASQ have released. Standout track “Anger” centers on a sentimental motif while seamlessly fitting in a first verse with a groove that almost reminds me of … a much artsier “Cotton Eye Joe”?! The song’s massive chorus is brilliant, as Vidi exhibits an expressiveness that’s notable even for his masterfully performative style, and the composition is a wonder, fitting more into five minutes than should be possible without going off the rails. “Cardamom,” meanwhile, is a bright, hooky, stunner of an opener that launches the album out of the blocks with irresistible appeal. The proggy, off-kilter barn burner “Monuments” then follows perfectly, frenetically bouncing among its numerous passages and keeping Spirit Animal’s momentum strong. At the other end, “Trust” closes the record in a moodier tone, with Vidi again taking on a particularly dramatic flair that’s complemented all too well by a lush string arrangement and shifting rhythms. Tracks like these remind me why SUBMASQ sit among my favorite bands in modern progressive music. 

Yet, despite the album’s maximalism and lofty peaks, much of it is less adventurous than previous works. SUBMASQ’s modus operandi is taking ideas that are distinct and inventive in and of themselves and then dressing them with layers of exotic instrumentation—all while keeping the music accessible. Here, there’s plenty of this “dressing up,” and the music remains effortless to enjoy, but the underlying ideas are simplified: relatively common rock and metal tropes often set the foundation. Across the tracks, many of the prominent riffs and melodies are relatively basic by the band’s standards. Further, a bright, energetic atmosphere dominates much of Spirit Animal. These qualities make for a more immediate listen, but they also cause the album to lose some of the mystique of its predecessors. And sometimes the simplified sections feel a tad forced, as if they’re written to grab the listener rather than fit naturally—the disco-infused hook in “Mechanical Prayers” and the straightforward, melodic chorus of “Calypso” are examples that strike me as a little jarring. On the other hand, the rock-oriented, vivacious closing section of “The Unlucky” works rather well. Perhaps this is because it comes at the end of a dynamic composition that features a Leprous-tinged intro, with Vidi giving his best Einar head voice, and a fantastic, jazzy bridge.

Ultimately, although Spirit Animal isn’t quite the majestic beast I might have expected, it’s remarkably enjoyable and well put together—the kind of record you can pick up at any time and happily give a spin. SUBMASQ’s music is generally of such high quality that it’s nearly impossible for the band to miss. Sure, the work’s underlying ideas could be more alluring, and its compositions could take more twists and turns. But Spirit Animal is nonetheless a worthy entry in an impeccable discography and another resonant roar in the progressive underground.

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Recommended tracks: Cardamom, Monuments, Anger, Trust
You may also like: Seventh Station, Aeternam, In the Woods…
Final verdict: 7.5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram

Label: Willowtip Records

SUBMASQ are:
– Davidavi “Vidi” Dolev (vocals)
– Golan Farhi (bass)
– Tomer Pink (guitars)
– Yalon Schori (drums)
– Or Shalev (guitars)
– Shai Yallin (keyboards, electronics, handpan)
– Dima Kogan (guitars, live)
With guests:
– Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (guitar solo on “Cardamom”)
– Yatziv Caspi (tablas on “Cardamom”)
– Matan Shmueli (percussions)
– Idan Amsalem (oud and bouzouki)
– Oren Tsor (violin)
– Noa Ayali (cello)
– Roni Fishbein (backing vocals on “Sanctified” and “Trust”)